


Serenade for a dream

by DarkOwlFeather



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Cassandra is oblivious as heck, F/F, Literally going from 16th century to today, Mostly an excuse to have them sing songs I like, Rapunzel tries to flirt a lot, Songs in English, Songs in French, Supposed to happen sometime around season 1 I guess, cultural anachronism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 07:27:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29432415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkOwlFeather/pseuds/DarkOwlFeather
Summary: Now that she’s finally home in Corona, Rapunzel discovers a lot of songs, and flirts awkwardly with an oblivious Cassandra.
Relationships: Cassandra/Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled)
Kudos: 29





	Serenade for a dream

**Author's Note:**

> I once had the idea that, after spending some time in Corona, Raps had learned few songs, mostly love songs, and insists to repeat them only with Cass, who doesn’t realize right away the songs are for her.
> 
> Didn't know when to publish it... today seems like the right day ^^
> 
> There will be a lot of musical anachronisms, expect them…
> 
> All songs belong to their rightful creators, I have them referenced in the end notes.

Since she was back to her family in Corona, the princess Rapunzel, who still had a lot to learn about being a princess, loved to live as she had done for years and years and years. Painting everywhere, no shoes, combing her hair -which surprised her how quick it was to do now that is was short, and, most of all, always a little tune on her lips, whistling, humming, often singing.

She loved to fill the air with songs. For years in the tower, she had been alone all the times Mother, no, Gothel, wasn’t there, and the silence was heavy. So she used to sing. And in the large castle, she sang too.

She often sang when she was alone, with Pascal, in her room. Or even when the maids or Eugene were there too. She sang little songs without clear meanings, just the sound of music and the music of the words were all she was looking for.

And one day, her parents introduced her to the person who would be her lady-in-waiting. She didn’t understand the word. Why would she need a lady to wait for her? This Cassandra was stern, and didn’t like much of the flourished music that helped Rapunzel feel home. Yet, stopping to sing wasn’t easy, though she could tell she should.

But she intended to help Cassandra see the beauty in music. And the beauty in other things, for what matters.

One day, a couple of weeks after Cassandra became Rapunzel’s lady-in-waiting, there was a festival in Corona. One of the many festivals the city held each year. And like in every festival, there was music.

Music, songs, instruments, oh so many sounds Rapunzel had never heard before. What was this odd instrument? An accordion. And this one? A bagpipe. Oh, and this other one? A harpsichord. And this… Cassandra couldn’t follow, Rapunzel was going too fast in the festival. She was asking, ans asking, and asking again, as eager as she was to learn all she could swallow in music, but there was so much, where could she even begin?

And then, she stopped. Cassandra managed to find her in the crowd, ready to explain to her highness Rapunzel that running in an over-crowded area wasn’t the best behavior security wise.

“Raps, you gotta be more careful,” she said, panting after searching for her for entire minutes.

The princess’ eyes were looking blindly to what was before her.

“Raps?”

But she couldn’t answer. She was captivated by the people on stage. They were singing. Seldom had she seen, and heard, people sing. It was so often herself, or Mot- Gothel.

“I’ll just wait,” sighed Cassandra.

She didn’t have to wait long. The crowd applauded. They encored, and encored at the singers. Cassandra used that moment of distraction to remind Rapunzel they had to go back to the castle.

“Your parents are waiting for you for lunch. We’re already late,” she said, as she gently took Rapunzel by the arm to get her out of the crowd.

“But, the songs…”

“Later. Your father can invite the musicians. If he wants to.”

They arrived in the courtyard and went directly to the garden with the gazebo the king and queen were already sat at. The plates were full, and, not yet used to excuse herself for being late, Rapunzel sat, and with a “hi” to her parents, started to eat. Behind her, Cassandra sighed again. She had a lot of decorum to explain to the princess. Another thing to add to the list.

The meal was over after a short hour, as the king needed to be off for a meeting this afternoon. Cassandra escorted Rapunzel to her room, to spend the time, and already regretting not being able to just stay in the castle’s training ground with her sword few dummies to stab and impale. But she had been tasked to spend her day with the princess, as a proper lady-in-waiting should do.

The first thing Rapunzel went to do was prepare a canvas, a big one, and paint on it scenes from the morning. Cassandra was behind, sat on the bed, daydreaming about the sharp edge of her sword, and the smell of hay from the field, the wind whistling when the blade cut it swiftly.

At first, she didn’t notice the gentle tune Rapunzel was whistling. It was simple, a known music, nothing special about it. And it was one of the songs Rapunzel had heard the morning. Of course it would stick to her head.

Oh, she was starting to hum now. Soon, she would sing and Cassandra couldn’t concentrate on her sword anymore. Another sigh. At least one of them was having fun.

“ _Alas, my love, ye do me wrong_

 _To cast me off_ _discourteously_ _,_

_And I have loved you so long,_

_Delighting in your company._

_Greensleeves is…”_

“Can you stop it, Raps?”

“Mmh?”

“The song, please, can you stop it?”

“I like the rhythm… don’t you?”

“It’s not the rhythm,” punctuated Cassandra with yet another sigh. “It’s the lyrics. You know where people say this song comes from?”

“I don’t… Should I?”

“Maybe. It’s said to have been written by a king for his lover. Mistress at the time, then queen consort.”

“That’s so romantic!” exclaimed Rapunzel, with a wide smile.

“Well, yes and no because the king ordered to behead his wife not three years after their marriage.”

“That’s so horrible!” exclaimed Rapunzel, holding her neck with both her hands.

“Yeah, pretty much… Didn’t know you thought of Eugene like that,” commented Cassandra with a chuckle.

“No! It’s not for… I didn’t know the origin of the song. I just found the tune lovely…”

“I get it. It is a lovely song. If you forget the lyrics and their origin.”

“I… I’ll go take a break in the gardens.”

Rapunzel left her room in a hurry. Cassandra watched her leave, a little surprised by such a rush. She would come back. No need to worry.

Rapunzel did come back. They didn’t speak of songs of the week, and certainly not this one. And Cassandra noticed that whenever she came close to Rapunzel’s room, the sound of songs stopped. Well, no risk to take about her choices of songs if she didn’t sing.

A couple of weeks later, an opera was welcomed in town. The royal couple attended to it, as did Rapunzel, Eugene and, as part of her lady-in-waiting duty, Cassandra. Though the latter only wanted to leave the theater, her dress, get into training clothes and take a sword in hand, and take out some hay training dummy. Anything but the incomprehensible loud songs. If only there was an intermission… But no…

Applause. Cassandra was taken out of her reverie. She applauded as well, not meaning it at all. Another few minutes, and she would escort Rapunzel to her room, and she would talk to her about the show, how it was beautiful, entertaining, and everything she loved. And Cassandra would agree, because she was the princess, because she wanted her friend to feel appreciated, because she didn’t want to start an argument, and certainly not an argument about art.

There was no discussion when they were back in Rapunzel’s room. Surprising. That wasn’t a problem to Cassandra. She kept doing her job, taking care of the room, keeping everything clean and ordered, well, as much as Rapunzel would let her do, and that was all.

Her day with the princess was over. Or so it should have been. Cassandra was at the training grounds, sword in hand, blade stuck into a hay dummy. A bird chirped behind her. She hoped Owl would soon teach this feathered fool to not distract her. The bird chirped again, with another motif, and Cassandra cursed under her breath.

It was no bird. It was a flute. What kind, she didn’t care. But it was no bird. And it was no surprise when she turned around to see Rapunzel playing.

“Do you like it?” the princess asked her.

“I…”

Cassandra couldn’t tell her she didn’t like it. She did appreciate a little of music now and then. But not in the middle of a training session. And certainly not after hours of concert from only hours ago.

“Now is not the time,” she finally said, thrusting her blade in the grass between them.

“There’s always time for a little of music! This is one of the songs from this morning. Don’t you recognize it?”

“Raps, I’m not exactly in the mood to recognize music right now.”

“Oh… Well, if the music is what bothers you, maybe you’ll recognize the lyrics,” she tried, remembering her first try as singing a song she didn’t know much.

She took a deep breath, and for a moment, Cassandra thought she would let the matter go and just go back in the castle. But she didn’t know Rapunzel well yet.

“ _L'amour est enfant de bohème,_

_Il n'a jamais, jamais connu de loi,_

_Si tu ne m'aimes pas, je t'aime,_

_Si je- !_ ”

“Raps! Shush! You’ll get the whole guard down there!” hushed her Cassandra, putting a hand on her mouth.

“Is my accent that bad?” asked Rapunzel through her friend’s fingers.

“What? No, well, I don’t know, what was all that about?” she asked, taking her hand back.

“It’s the song from the opera, this morning. I thought you liked it, I saw you smiling.”

“I… was smiling at the swords battles…”

“Ah! Should’ve known!”

“Raps, you can’t just sneak on me and sing songs like this. And of all songs, why this one?”

“I thought you liked it… And this time, the lyrics were better than, well, the first time.”

“Carmen dies by the hand oh her lover at the end,” curtly said Cassandra.

“I know! But, isn’t the song romantic?”

“Not much… To me, a woman who takes men like trophies isn’t really a romantic pillar you know.”

“Carmen doesn’t!” pouted Rapunzel.

“That’s not what I understood.”

“I…”

Rapunzel did want to argue. But right now, she was genuinely vexed to a point she didn’t know what to say. Her hands tightened around her flute, she turned around and left the training grounds. She wasn’t even at the doors that she heard Cassandra’s blade slashing against the dummies. At least one of them was having fun.

Days passed, and Cassandra didn’t hear Rapunzel sing anymore. Even when artists were received by the king and queen, even when musicians and singers stopped in town. And Cassandra didn’t like the sad look she started to notice on Rapunzel’s face. She had been too frank maybe. The girl didn’t know how to behave with others. Not that that witch of Gothel could have taught her anything of the like. If there was one person in the whole world that Cassandra despised without knowing her, it was that woman.

One morning, Cassandra was combing Rapunzel’s hair. For a couple of weeks was back to its long blond past self, after they had sneaked out at night. It had been a nice night. And that night, Rapunzel had smiled like she did before. So, to bring back her smile, Cassandra tried to talk to her. Even though she was far from the best at that.

“Raps? Are you alright? You haven’t sound like yourself lately…”

“Oh, yeah… I figured you didn’t like songs very much… So I stopped…”

“I do like songs. When they’re sung without the whole castle listening to them or when their origin isn’t telling the opposite of the song itself.”

“Really? I… My mother gave me a libretto from a show… Would you like to hear me sing? I told my parents I’d like to partake in the play if they ever want the castle staff to do it…”

“You’re not the castle staff… But I guess if it pleases you, your parents would love to see you play,” admitted Cassandra. “Was is the song?”

Rapunzel took the libretto and opened where she had put a bookmark. She took a deep breath, a slight blush on her cheek, as she readied herself to sing.

“It’s a duet… Could you sing the other part?”

“Uh, sure,” hesitated Cassandra, taking the little book Rapunzel handed her.

Cassandra hadn’t yet her eyes on the letters that Rapunzel started to sing.

“ _A heart full of love!_

_A heart full of song!_

_I'm doing everything all wrong_

_Oh God for shame,_

_I do not even know you name!_ ”

“You do know my name, Raps,” said Cassandra, still searching her part in the text.

“Cass! It’s the song! At least imagine you’re the character… You can do that, right?”

“I… can try.”

“And I checked! In this story, both lovers end up together, and they lived happily ever after!”

“After one of them nearly dies, finding the girl’s abusers and killing her adoptive father. Yup. Totally a fun story. That’s what you call fun?”

“Well it’s not titled Les Misérables for nothing,” argued Rapunzel.

“Figured. Who could be your Cosette?”

“I don’t even know if I’ll be playing that part or another actually…” admitted Rapunzel, fiddling uneasily with a lock of her hair.

“Then why are you repeating with that part?” asked Cassandra.

“I… Cass, I just wanted to sing this… I love… the songs, I love the songs.”

Rapunzel didn’t try to argue more. It was no use. Cassandra wasn’t much of an artist, even though she dreamed she could be and they could talk of songs. Or paintings. But right now, songs.

Once again, Cassandra watched her leave the room, and she was left alone. She looked a long time at the opened door and Rapunzel walking in the corridor like a kid who had been refused an ice cream. Or like Cassandra herself, after being refused a place in the guard for the umpteenth time.

The day after, Cassandra found Rapunzel alone in the palace garden, in the gazebo. She walked to her friend, who was scribbling something on her sketchbook. When Cassandra tried to peer above her shoulder, Rapunzel closed the book at once.

“Surprise!” told her the princess.

“That I can see… Who is it for?”

“A friend. A very good and close friend.”

“I didn’t know you could be so cryptic… So what? Riddles?”

“If you want to…” said Rapunzel, biting her lower lip at the prospect of having a friendly time with Cassandra.

Cassandra brought a hand to her chin, thoughtful.

“Do I know that friend?”

“Maybe…”

“I should. I’m your lady-in-waiting, I have to know who you know or else I’m not doing my job.”

“Right… You know her.”

“Her?” mused Cassandra with a smirk. “Interesting…”

“Yeah, I know,” said Rapunzel, playing with her. “I found a compilation of songs at the market the other day… Well, Eugene found it and I’m very grateful. There’s this… song,” she said, waiting for a reaction from Cassandra that didn’t happen, “and I’d like to sing it to my friend. Would you like to hear me sing it?”

“I’ll make sure you sing well for your friend, sure,” agreed Cassandra. “But this time, I hope it’s not a duet.”

“It’s not!” cheered Rapunzel.

She put the closed sketchbook beside her on the stone bench and brushed the pleats of her skirt. Then, reminding herself of the lyrics, she started to sing. And Cassandra kept looking around, hoping she wouldn’t sing too loud to get people to hear her. A princess singing with her lady-in-waiting wasn’t something Cassandra would like to be remembered for.

Rapunzel started singing with a low voice.

“ _Ooo, You make me live_

_Whatever this world can give to me_

_It's you, you're all I see_

_Ooo, you make me live now honey!_ ”

But she didn’t keep her low voice a long time. And Cassandra looked around more frantically.

“ _Ooo, you make me live_

_Ooh, You're the best friend_

_That I ever had_

_I've been with you such a long time,_ ”

A gardener passed by.

“ _You're my sunshine_

_And I want you to know_

_That the feel-_ ”

“Raps!”

“What?!”

“It’s a great song, I really, really like it,” admitted Cassandra, keeping a vigilant eye on the curious gardener working on the roses not much away from them. “But if you want to train your singing, you’ll really need to wait till you’re inside…”

“But… why?”

“Why?! Because everyone can listen to you here!”

“Is it bad?”

“Raps, I know you think everyone is nice and great and all, but not everybody is. You’ll find people who are just waiting for you to make a fool step and tell the whole kingdom about it. Singing ballads to your lady-in-waiting in the garden can be seen as a fool step.”

“I… didn’t mean to…” whispered Rapunzel, curling her knees under her chin.

“I know you didn’t mean to, Raps,” said Cassandra, coming to sit next to her. “That’s why I’m here. I’m your best friend, remember?”

“Yeah, you definitely are, Cass.”

She felt Cassandra put an arm around her back, and she leaned to rest her head on her shoulder. Yes, Cassandra wasn’t just her lady-in-waiting. She was her best friend.

They stayed like this till dusk, when the sun disappeared behind the horizon and the cold wind rose.

Several days later, the king and queen received diplomats from a kingdom outside the Seven Kingdoms Alliance for an important political meeting. There were a lot of reunions, and dinners. And the last day of the reception, their visitors had prepared a spectacle from their homeland. Acrobatics.

The whole royal family attended to the spectacle. Rapunzel found everything wonderful and breathtaking. Eugene searched what moves could have been useful in his last years of thievery, before being nudged in the stomach by Rapunzel’s elbow when she understood what he had his attention upon. And Cassandra was amazed by the tricks with fire and blades, without a single scratch nor burn. Had these artists been warriors, they would have been impressive opponents.

To end the show, the last part was a spectacle of acrobatics with ropes, trapezes, silk and hoops.

Breaths were stolen each time an aerial artist was swinging away from any link, before catching an apparatus, or another artist. While they danced like birds in the sky, a shadow darkened Rapunzel’s happy face.

She had been like them, in a way, in the Tower. Swinging from a plank of the framework to another, secured by only her hair. She had loved it. And now, watching the artists do the same, she realized how much she missed it.

Two singers started to sing a duet. And most of the artists left the stage, leaving only two of them on the silks and hoops.

In a reflex, Rapunzel put her hand beside her and caught Cassandra’s, who was shot out of her reverie of flying blades. They shared a look, and Rapunzel stood up, taking her friend behind the ranks of onlookers, under the bewildered glances of their families and the diplomats. Once they were both out of sight, they simply turned back to watch the show.

“Raps,” hissed Cassandra, “what are you doing?”

“Dancing in the air.”

Rapunzel unbraided her hair and threw it on the framework of the throne room where the show was taking place. One of the singers sang a false note as she saw the princess of the host kingdom hoisted in the air by her own hair. Yet, she didn’t stop her song, and even sang louder to hide her surprise.

“ _Maybe the world could be ours tonight!_ ”

Rapunzel wasn’t on the framework. She had stopped at mid-height, and rolled her hair around herself, imitating the artists on the other side of the room with the silk.

“ _You think it’s easy_

 _You think I don’t want to run to you_ ”

A long lock of hair fell on the floor next to Cassandra. She closed her fist around it, watching Rapunzel up there. And Rapunzel let herself fall, causing Cassandra to fly with the lifted hair. The lady-in-waiting agilely rolled the hair around her waist to secure her up there. While they were both on the framework, they listened to the singers who hadn’t stopped singing at all. The artists were letting themselves fly around the room, held only by a hoop now.

“ _Everything keeps us apart_

_And I'm not the one you were meant to find_

_It's not up to you, it's not up to me_

_When everyone tells us what we can be_

_How can we rewrite the stars?_

_Say that the world can be ours, tonight_

_All I want is to fly with you!_ ”

Rapunzel looked again at Cassandra, and with a grin, took her hand. She made sure they were both secured, and then, she let herself fall again. Only this time, she had Cassandra in her arms.

“ _All I want I want is to fall with you!_

 _So just give me all of you!_ ”

They had an arm around the other’s back, while their other hand was keeping their hold on the golden rope of silken hair.

“ _It feels impossible! It’s not impossible!_

 _Is it possible? Say that’s possible!_ ”

They were flying around the room, and their shadow ran over the spectators. As they neared the walls, they extended their legs and feet ran on the vertical floor.

The singers weren’t singing for the artists anymore. They were singing for the princess and her friend, as their glances were following the dance behind the viewers. And soon, everybody turned around to watch them.

And then, the end of the song came, and the hair slowed.

“ _You know I want you_

 _It's not a secret I try to hide,_ ”

Rapunzel and Cassandra were still holding each other under the now heavy glares of every single person in the room.

As the hair stopped turning, their feet touched the floor, and fell from the framework, falling like a golden rain around them. And the song ended.

“ _But I can't have you_

 _We're bound to break and my hands are tied._ ”

Their hands were still tied by the hair. Noticing that, Cassandra hastily freed her wrists and ankles, and took a step back. Applause rose. Rapunzel was beaming with happiness, but she could tell her friend wasn’t as much.

The spectacle ended, and the dinner was served. Rapunzel searched for Cassandra all evening. But her friend was nowhere to be seen.

Later that night, Rapunzel walked in the corridor around the dungeon and the guards quarters. That was where Cassandra had her room. The door was closed, yet the light of the moon appeared from under the wood.

“Cass?” tried Rapunzel, patting the door, unable to clearly knock.

She received no answer.

“I’m sorry, I thought you were having fun…” she said through the door.

She heard her friend scoff from on the other side.

“Fun? You think taking me flying over the throne room was fun?! Well Raps, it wasn’t!”

“I’m sorry, it’s just… the song inspired me…”

“You didn’t have to take me with you.”

“I wanted to…”

“You what?”

“I loved flying with you up there, Cass.”

Cassandra stayed silent for a short moment. Then, Rapunzel heard her move and open the door.

“I’m glad you liked it, Raps, but I didn’t. Good night.”

“Wait, please, Cass, I have one last thing for tonight, please…”

“What?”

“A last song before sleep.”

“Make it fast,” grumbled Cassandra.

She walked back inside her room, and Rapunzel, hesitant, followed her. She stayed in the middle of the room, back toward the fireplace, while Cassandra sat on her bed. Rapunzel watched her, a warm smile on her face.

“So what?” asked her Cassandra.

“Oh, yes, of course, I’m just finding the lyrics…”

“Not English?”

“French again,” told her Rapunzel, an uneasy smile on her face.

Cassandra seemed thoughtful. Though she had learn basics of foreign languages in her youth, the language of steel was the one that held the most interest to her.

Finally, Rapunzel took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

“ _Je veux rire et viennent les pleurs,_

_Je porte deuil et oriflammes,_

_La moitié de moi est en flammes,_

_L’autre moitié feuillage et fleurs._

_Ma force croit et ma vigueur,_

_Puis de faiblesse je soupire_

_Rien n’est meilleur et rien n’est pire_

_Rien n’est pire et rien n’est meilleur_

_Que la douleur d’aimer._ ”

She stopped there, even though the song was far from over. She knew herself didn’t understand thoroughly the song, and that Cassandra couldn’t as well. Better stop with the right lines.

“I didn’t understand all,” said Cassandra.

It made Rapunzel smile and giggle. She knew that very well.

“Yeah, me neither. But it’s a love song. And there aren’t any character getting in the way of the other this time. Because there is no character so… well, you see.”

“Raps, one day, you’ll tell me why you want so much to sing love songs when you’re with me.”

Rapunzel blushed at that comment.

“Did I say something wrong?” checked Cassandra.

“No, not at all…” half-lied Rapunzel, blushing even more.

“Right… Err… Good night?”

“Good night Cass.”

She leaned to her best friend to kiss her on the cheek. Her finger lingered on the skin of her shoulder a moment more than they should have. Cassandra looked nervous, making Rapunzel retreat. She walked to the door, and there, a hand on the handle, blew her friend a kiss.

“Good night,” she told her, before closing the door.

After that night, Rapunzel seldom sang to Cassandra, understanding what she meant maybe wasn’t as clear as she hoped.

A long time passed.

They had been on quite an adventure together. They had sang together. But it was never truly the same. And then, they fought together. And after that, they found each other.

But a time came when Cassandra went away, after Corona was rebuilt. A long, long time had passed. Felt like a lifetime to some. Rapunzel knew she would be back. Cassandra would always come back. What she couldn’t know was… When?

One day, a horse stepped in the courtyard. From Fidella dismounted Cassandra. Months had passed since she had last set foot on these cobblestones. It felt good to be back, and not fighting anyone but her guilt.

She didn’t even fight the bear hug that welcomed her. She returned it gladly, hiding her tears in Rapunzel’s neck.

They swirled, like they had swirled long ago, flying on her hair in the throne room. And when they stopped, Rapunzel held Cassandra by the shoulders, a wide grin on her face. And Cassandra wasn’t sure whether she should be happy of fearful of that face.

When Rapunzel took her breath, Cassandra recognized immediately what was about to happen. She realized only now how much she had missed Rapunzel singing during her time on the roads.

“ _Never thought that you would be_

_Standing there so close to me_

_There’s so much I feel that I should say_

_But words can wait until some other day._ ”

Rapunzel leaned a lightly kissed Cassandra’s forehead.

“ _Kiss me once, then kiss me twice_

_Then kiss me once again_

_It’s been a long, long time._

_Haven’t felt like this my dear_

_Since can’t remember when._

_It’s been a long long time._ ”

Cassandra leaned as well, and as Rapunzel kept singing her gentle song, her weary head rested on her friend’s shoulder.

“ _You’ll never know how many dreams_

_I dreamed about you_

_Or just how empty they all_ _seemed_ _without you_

_Now kiss me once, then kiss me twice_

_Then kiss me once again_

_It’s been a long, long time._ ”

When Rapunzel had stopped singing, she lifted Cassandra’s head from her shoulder, and looked deep into her eyes. They reflected herself, and when she lowered her glance, she saw her friend’s lips twitch into a smile, and getting closer.

“Kiss me once, then kiss me twice, then kiss me once again,” repeated Cassandra.

She let her hands fall down Rapunzel’s arms to take her hands. She came closer to her, and their lips touched, gently, chastely, after so long longing to feel the other.

Then, slowly, they moved and started a little dance. Few steps on a side. Few steps on the other. Lifting an arm and swirling under it. A laugh, a giggle, and a smile as bright as the sun.

“It’s been a long, long time,” replied Rapunzel, stopping in front of Cassandra.

There was something unsaid in their glances to each other. A “may I” that let their lips without a sound more than a silent longing sigh. And they kissed each once, twice, and once again.

~ The End ~

**Author's Note:**

> That’s it folks! I hope you liked the musical chase I put between the girls, it was fun to write ^^ 
> 
> Here’s the list of songs I used:  
> * Greensleeves: 16th century, from what I searched, it's said the text had been written by king Henry VIII for Anne Boleyn. Apparently, it's not historically accurate, though, well, keeping it instead of saying it's anonymous or disputed.  
> * Habanera (aria), from Georges Bizet's 1875 opéra Carmen  
> Translation (from Wikipedia):  
>  _Love is a gypsy child,_  
>  _It has never, never known a law,_  
>  _If you don't love me, I love you,_  
>  _If I [love you, be on your guard!]_  
>  * A Heart Full of Love, from Les Misérables, original French lyrics by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, 1980, translated by Herbert Kretzmer, adaptation of Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables, 1862  
> * You’re my best friend: Written by John Deacon, 1976  
> * Rewrite the Stars: from The Greatest Showman (2017), lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul  
> * La douleur d’aimer: written by Gilles Servat, 1985  
> Translation (my own):  
>  _I want to laugh, and come the tears,_  
>  _I’m bearing grief and oriflammes,_  
>  _Half of me is in flames,_  
>  _The other half leaves and flowers._  
>  _My strength grows and my vigor,_  
>  _Then of weakness I sigh_  
>  _Nothing’s better and nothing’s worst,_  
>  _Nothing’s worst and nothing’s better_  
>  _Than the pain of love._  
>  * It’s been a long, long time: lyrics by James Terlingo and Sammy Cahn, composed in 1945
> 
> I know there could have been countless other songs to use, I put there as much as I could, trying to mix several music genres and artists…  
> If you’re thinking of a song you’d love to see Cass and Raps share, you’re more than welcome to make your own version of this!  
> Plus, I guess that for some songs among those I used, some could even make great animations (totally not thinking about Rewrite the Stars, no, not at all...)
> 
> Comments and kudos are welcome 🤗
> 
> ~ ~ ~
> 
> On the updates of A tale of a Universe Light Anew, because of this short fic, I think I'll pass Monday's update, so see you on Friday  
> FYI, I finished writing the big battle near the end of the story, it's on chapter 22, and a lot will happen till them... But not telling much... No spoiler... ^^


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